The official initiative petition will be available for New Westminster residents to sign anytime between 10:00 AM and noon. Beginning at 10 o’clock, local organizers for the campaign will provide an overview of the initiative and train people who want to volunteer to collect signatures for the campaign. After the training, canvassers will head out into their neighbourhoods to collect signatures door-to-door.

“We know people in New Westminster are anxious to have their say on the HST,” said local campaign spokesperson Tania Jarzebiak. “But there are some very strict rules governing the initiative and we wanted to take the time to make sure we do it right.”

“We need to collect at least 4300 signatures from folks who are on the voters list in New Westminster by July 5 – and we hope to make a good start on Saturday,” she added.

The HST will shift $1.9 billion in taxes from corporations onto consumers, will hurt working families and small businesses, and lead to thousands of layoffs in key industries. Opposition to the HST continues to grow, and petition launches in communities across BC have been a huge success. In Fort St John, for example, canvassers collected 1,800 signatures in one day.

“The HST has struck a nerve with people in New Westminster. We’re outraged at the BC Liberal government’s deception and lack of consultation,” Jarzebiak noted, “Judging from the amount of calls and e-mails received so far, we’re going to have an active and successful petition campaign in New Westminster.”

Area businesses have expressed interest in hosting the petition, and organizers are developing a schedule for volunteer canvassers to be in place to collect signatures. More information about locations and times will be made available once the schedule is confirmed.

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5 Replies to “Anti-HST petition comes to New Westminster April 17”

You are absolutely right that this is right out of a press release (though not from the NDP). As it says in the italicized text at the top of the post, this is the text of a media release I received from the local anti-HST campaign organizers. I posted it here because I know there are local folks interested in signing the petition. If you're interested in writing a pro-HST counterpoint, you are welcome to submit it to us as a guest post.

I'm as Liberal as they come, but even *I* don't agree with the HST. And it's not really about the tax per se (even though, as a small business owner, the HST might hurt my business), but the way that the Liberal party mis-handled the entire situation. I say, let the people of our province speak out in this initiative, and then, perhaps, the party will engage the population in a serious and transparent debate on the issue. I think that's what a lot of people are asking for…simply the opportunity to be heard.

“The HST will shift $1.9 billion in taxes from corporations onto consumers, will hurt working families and small businesses, and lead to thousands of layoffs in key industries.”

This has got to be stripped right out of an NDP press release. Numerous economic studies- not opinion pieces- have emphasized how this will better the economy as a whole. Anything else is just opinion.

I don’t look forward to the day that I have to start paying for the boomers’ stupid decisions in personal health, low taxation, high services, and disregard for the environment. On the other hand, I cannot wait for the new age of reason when they all kick the bucket.

Must be on the radar now. 83 out of 85 ridings have reached the 10 percent threshold. Even in Campbell’s own riding. It’s going to be a long hot summer for Premier Pinnochio and his wayward finance minister.